Lost one, Gained one
by TheBlackFawkes
Summary: Being called a Mudblood by a dear friend may have ripped him out of Lily's life. But little did she know that she was about to gain one too, that very night. One fierce friend who would stand by not only her and her husband to their death, but also their son. She found friendship like she'd never had with Severus Snape. A oneshot.


"Lils! Lils, look at me! The bell's rung, class is over!" Marlene McKinnon whispered as she shook her friend violently. "Oh c'mon Lily!"

But Lily Evans just sat at the bench, staring blankly into her now empty cauldron. A few strands of bright red hair strayed away from the hastily wound up bun on top of her head and fell over her clear face. She felt a single tear roll down her right cheek, but didn't bother to wipe it away. She was vaguely aware of her best friend's bold voice in conversation with someone, but it didn't matter. In fact nothing mattered anymore. The only thing she was aware of was the pain in her gut- as though someone had wrenched a piece of it away.

"Miss Evans?" called a soft voice and she felt a hand gently come to rest on her shoulder. Slowly turning in her seat, she found herself face-to-face with her potions master Professor Slughorn. His brown eyes were full of concern as he gazed into her tear streaked face.

"Would you like some tea, Miss Evans?" he inquired as he smiled soothingly. "

"N- no thank you Prof-professor" stammered Lily, rather thrown off by his concern.

"Miss Evans, I don't pretend to know what it feels like to be called a- a _you know what_ by such a dear frien-"

"Friend? Friend Professor?" she snapped, anger welling up in her chest like an inflated hot air balloon. I should've known! I should've seen right through his apologies! It was only last summer, Professor, you know right after our Charms OWLs! As though calling someone calling a Mudblood once isn't enough!" she was positively screaming now, and her teacher looked on wearing a very troubled expression.

"Lily my dear, Severus made a horrible mistake. He's on detention for that, and I'll be taking him up to see the Headmaster right away. But don't you worry yourself sick over this, dear. No matter what others say, you really are the brightest witch of your age" patting her gently on the back, he got up and bustled out of the classroom, leaving her alone with her thoughts. And her empty cauldron.

It took her a few minutes to compose herself and take leave from the deserted classroom, but instead of heading for dinner at the Great Hall, she made a beeline for her favourite cushioned corner in the library.

Her eyes stared blankly at the book in her lap without taking in a word of what it said s her brain kept flashing back to the scene that had disturber her so much.

She was back in the potions classroom as she swirled her cauldron carefully before her.

"Psst Evans" a boy with black, messy hair called out from behind her.

"Shut up Potter" she hissed back.

"Oh c'mon Evans! Hogsmede weekend is 'round the corner, you reckon we could-"

"No" she snapped.

"Hey no fair!" he whined, but she barely heard him. She had transferred a sample of the bright green potion (almost the same shade as her eyes) and turned around to leave it at Professor Slughorn's desk when

CRASH

It took her a moment to grasp what had happened but when she did, she saw Severus standing about a foot way, robes sizzling and smoking. Her collision had caused her vial of Wizard's Greek Fire to shatter and her friend was doused in its contents.

"Oh Merlin! I'm so sorry Sev! I didn't mean to, I swear! I'm really really really sorry! Here, let me fix it, Aguame-"

"Get off me, you filthy Mudblood!" he snapped shoving her away from him as he strode out of the classroom. The whole classroom gasped and she could hear someone swearing loudly behind her as Lily felt herself land hard on her bench. Everything that happened after that was a blurred mess.

"Oh there you are!" a rough, yet kindly sounding voice brought her out of her daze. Quickly drying the tears on her sleeve, she looked up. What met her there made her jump in surprise. Black's handsome face smiled at her as he pushed a mop of hair away from his storm grey eyes.

"You?!" yelped Lily.

"Well don't look so startled!" Black exclaimed, sounding slightly offended. "Well, Pron- I mean James noticed that you weren't at dinner and we knew treacle tart is your favourite so, well, we thought…" he trailed off, looking a little flustered. There was a moment of awkward silence, but it soon vanished as Lily smiled gratefully and extended her hand to accept the tart.

"Um, thanks. A lot."

"Anytime at all Evan- can I call you Lily?" he flushed so deeply that his face was almost the colour of her hair.

"Uh, yeah. I, er, I guess" she muttered, feeling her cheeks grow hot.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Lily spooning in the tart and Black watching her.

"Mmmhm thank you so much Black, or um, Sirius?" she looked up at him questioningly, drawing out a bark of laughter.

"Yep, it's Sirius."

Something had suddenly hit her. It was probably a rude thought, but boy she knew to be bratty and arrogant had noticed she'd missed dinner and come looking for her, that too with a bowl of her favourite dessert! No, she surely can't hit him with this question… But Lily couldn't hold herself back as she blurted, "how come you, er, you came looking for me?" he looked startled. Definitely not a question he'd expected. But Lily squandered on. "I mean, I didn't, er, don't get me wrong but seeing you… um, like I can understand if it was Remus but, er, y'know…"

Blac- Sirius seemed to be taking his time, chewing on her question. When he finally did speak up, his tone was different, somehow…softer.

"Well, to be honest, it was James. He'd noticed that you weren't down in the Great Hall and he knew treacle tart is your favourite- oh don't be ridiculous! Of course he knows what you ike eating and what you don't!" he added, grinning at her bewildered expression and steadily reddening cheeks.

"But, but why isn't he here then? You know, if he's so concerned." She inquired. Surely someone who knew what she liked to eat would've come to deliver the dish themselves?

Sirius now seemed to proceed with an air of caution, as though he half expected Lily to curse his nose off.

"He, he… Oh Merlin Lily the guy thought you wouldn't want to see him!" he finished. Damn right he was, Lily thought to herself, but not before swallowing out the feeling of fluttering butterflies in her stomach. She decided to stay quiet and let Sirius carry on.

"He didn't want to upset you, you know. He thinks, well it's true, I mean you really get ticked off when you see us. Well also there's the thing that-" but before he could finish, Madam Pince had come swooping down on them.

"Food in the library! Out you get! And don't come back in here till you've learned better manners!" she shouted. "You Black! Always causing but I never expected you to be so careless Miss Evans! Now out you get!" and with she pushed them out on to the corridor.

"So," Lily went on, trying to sound less shocked than she felt. "you were saying…"

"Uh yes so that and also, he sorta blames himself for today's… events" he finished.

"What, how?!" James Potter was an arrogant toe-rag, alright, but he had nothing to do with what had transpired today in potions.

"Well," Sirius ploughed on "he says he asked you out- _again_ " rolled his eyes at this "and you were mad at him and he reckons that's why you bumped into Snivel- ooh think of the git and the git appears!" he finished as Severus had just rounded a corner and entered the other end of the corridor.

"Aha." Severus said in a silky, cold voice. "If it isn't the Blood Traitor and Mudblood!" he sneered, but in a flash, Sirius had whipped out his wand from under his robe and pointed it into his face.

"Sirius NO!" Lily heard herself cry out.

"Lily, he called you a frikki-"

"Well well," Severus jeered. "on first name terms are we?"

Sirius, who had apparently decided that he'd had enough, punched the boy square on the face. But to her credit, Lily was quick. Before he could aim a hex she had drawn in him to a body lock. Feeling him suddenly go stiff against her, she laughed and whispered into his ear softly, "Karate. Muggle martial art." This loosened him up a bit. But Severus had a look of utmost disgust on loathing etched into every inch of his straight, sharp face.

"Cornering a wandless wizard isn't bravery, Black" he drawled. And turning to Lily, he spat, "I don't need saving from a dirt like you." And with that, he turned on his heel and stalked away.

Lily hadn't expected this, but a steady stream of tears were now pouring down her face. And Sirius had pulled her into a warm embrace against him.

"He- he was just an-angry bec-because professor Slughorn pun-punished him" she stuttered. "But even th-then Sirius. H-he's my be-best friend!" she was now sobbing into his shoulder. She could feel his hand stroking her head slowly.

"He's a Flobberworm's arse, Lily, that's what he is." He finally said, in a comforting tone. "You call him a friend, but look at him! He equates you to filth. He's not worth you, Lily. Don't worry, you have plenty of other friends. Like Marlene, and Dorcas, and… and me."

Lily Evans may have lost a dear friend that night, but she gained one too.


End file.
